Lawn mower



Jan. 13, 1942 B. A. SEAVER 2,269,920

LAWN MOWER Filed Sept. 7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Z; if 67 Jan. 13, 1942. B. A. SEAVER LAWN MOWER Filed Sept. 7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Wm

Jan. 13, 1942. B. A. SEAVER LAWN MOWER Filed Sept. '7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 13, 1942 LAWN MOWER BlalxeA. Seaver, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Blair Manufacturing Company,

Springfield,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 7, 1940, Serial No. 355,747

. 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in lawn mowers.

An object of this invention is to provide a lawn mower construction which is strong and durable, with the adjustable features positively locked so that they may be maintained indefinitely in adjusted position, unaffected by vibration and shock: which is pleasing in appearance, economical of manufacture, and which is composed of a minimum number of parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a lawn mower construction, a lightweight, pressed metal wheel and hub, combined with a cast metal ring gear-rigidly secured to the pressed metal wheel, thereby combining in one assembled unit the rigidity and accuracy of a cast gear and the light weight, economy of manufacture, and enhanced appearance of the pressed metal wheel.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a lawn mower construction, improved and simplified means for adjusting, controlling, and locking the operating position of the stationary knife, relative to the cutting reel blades.

A still further object of this invention is to provide, in a lawn mower construction, means for positively locking the rear roller brackets in adjusted position, so that it is impossible for the roller to get out of alignment. It is customary to provide slots for the bracket bolts which support the rear roller, in order to provide adjustability for regulating the height of the out. In operation, the bolts are apt to work loose, due to shock and vibration, and slip in the slots, thereby throwing the roller out of alignment with the axis of the wheels, resulting in an uneven cut, binding of the roller, and dimculty in operating the machine. It is an object of this invention to provide positive positioning means for the roller brackets, whereby the position of the roller, relative to the cutting reel, cannot change even when the roller bracket bolts become loose.

Again, it is an object of this invention to provide a lawn mower construction which will operate emclently during its normal lifetime of service without lubrication other than that provided by the manufacturer.

It is also an object of this invention to provide, in a lawn mower construction, hollow side frames having smooth inner and outer surfaces, and which, when assembled with the wheels, provide complete sealing of the gears against the entrance of dirt and grass clippings.

These, and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more completely disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

Broadly, this invention comprises a lawn mower construction including rubber tired pressed metal wheels with cast ring gears secured therein, side frames having smooth, fiat, outer and inner surfaces, the wheels being removably and rotatably supported on the side frames through self-lubricating bearings, a cutting reel provided with bearings manually adjustable to take up wear, a rolling clutch drive for the cutting reel, operatively connected to the wheel gears, a bottom knife cooperating with the cutting reel and provided with easily accessible, positively locking adjusting means, a rear roller mounted on reversible brackets whereby the spacing of the roller and bottom knife may be varied, and positive locking adjustment means for positioning the roller for controlling the height of the cut.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of th lawn mower,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view,

"Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the handle, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line t -l of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. i,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the. line t@ of Fig. 5, with the wheel removed,

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view, at enlarged scale, taken on the line 'l-l of Fig. 4,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rolling clutch locking member, and

Fig, 9 is a perspective view of one of the closure plates for the side frames.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout,

The wheels of the lawn mower include a pressed metal disc i, rim 2, and hub sleeve 3.

These parts are welded together to provide a strong, rigid, integral wheel. The disc I is formed with an axially extending flange 4 which is turned inwardly, relative to the lawn mower construction as a whole, and the rim 2 is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the outer surface of the flange :3. The flange 4 terminates in an outwardly extending flange 5, and the rim 2 is formed with a corresponding outwardly extending flange 6. The flanges 5 and 6 cooperate to form a circumferential groove I for receiving a bead 8 formed on a rubber tire 9. The wheel disc I is also formed with a recess I and perforated at II for receiving spring fingers I2 secured on a hub cap I3. The hub cap I3 is slightly crowned, and may be inscribed or embossed with any suitable design, and is removably secured on the wheel disc I by means of engagement of the fingers I2 in the perforations II. The recess I8 is so formed to receive the hub cap I3 as to enclose the hub cap within the plane of the outer surface I4 of the wheel disc I. The hub sleeve 3 is formed of pressed metal and has a flange I5 which is securely welded onto the wheel disc I and the sleeve 3 is axially aligned with the wheel disc I, thus providing a rigid, accurately centered bearing for the wheel. Self lubricating bushings I6 are pressedinto the hub 3 and spaced to provide an annular groove H which may be packed with grease is desired.

A ring gear I8 is secured in the wheel disc I by means of countersunk flat head rivets IS. The construction of the tire 9, wheel disc I, and rim 2 is such that, when assembled, the outer surface 9' of the tire 9 projects substantially beyond any metallic parts of the wheel, as best shown in Fig. 5. When the lawn mower is in use, this construction prevents damage to any vertical surface along which the lawn mower may be operated.

Side frames I9 are formed of pressed metal with an outwardly extending flange 20. The forward portion 2| of the side frames I9 are semicircular in shape, and when assembled with the wheels I, are concentric therewith, and the frames I9 extend rearwardly from the forward portions 2I in a generally elliptical form, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, with the flange 28 reduced in width, relative to the forward portion.

The inner surfaces 22 of the frames I9 are flat and smooth, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5. This is an important feature of the invention, as it permits the ends of the cutting reel blades to be located close to the surface 22, thereby reducing the width of the track, or the overall width between the ends of the reel blades and the outside of the tires. The side frames I9 are provided with sockets 23 for receiving flanges 24 of bearing studs 25, and the flanges 24 of the studs 25 are rigidly welded to the side frames I9. The studs 25 are provided, near their outer extremities, with grooves for receiving spring keeper rings 21 which removably secure the wheels on the studs, and the ends of the studs, beyond the grooves, are bevelled, as indicated in Fig. 5, to facilitate the removal and installation of the rings 21. A flanged guard ring 28 is secured on the inside of each of the frames I9, concentric with the stud 25, and formed withan outwardly extending flange 29 which, when the wheel "is assembled on the frame, registers with the intersection of the flanges 4 and 5 on the wheel disc I. thereby effectively sealing the inside of'the wheel and preventing the entrance of grass clippings. dirt, or other foreign matter.

The side frames I 9 are spaced from each other and held in proper alignment by cooperation of a brace rod or bar 38 and a knife bar 3I The ends 32 of the bar 38 project through openings 33 pro vided in the side frames I9, and are reduced in diameter to provide shoulders which abut against the surfaces 22 of the frames I9, as indicated-in Fig. 5. The ends 32 are threaded to receive lock washers 34 and nuts 35 on the inside of the frames I9. The knife bar 3I is formed with end flanges 36 which abut against the surfaces 22 of the frames I9, and is secured to the frames I 9 by engagement of pivot screws 31 in the flanges 38.

A cutting reel is provided, including a shaft 38 to which are secured in the usual manner spiders 39 which support helically curved reel blades 48. The shaft 38 is journalled in roller or ball bearings 4| which are pressed into sockets 42 formed in the frames I9, and the bearings 4| are protected by dust caps 43. The shaft 38 is accurately aligned with the bearings 4| by longitudinally adjustable, hardened cones 44. The cones 44 are located and fixed on the shaft 38 by cooperation of opposed set screws 45 engaging opposed slanted surfaces of recesses 46 formed in the shaft 38, as indicated in Fig. 5. Keys 41, secured in the shaft 38, engage clutch members 48 which are located in recesses 49 formed in pinions 50, and the pinions 50 are freely mounted on the shaft 38. The clutch member is milled to provide a plurality of longitudinal recesses 5| in which are freely located rolls 52. Thus, a rolling clutch is provided in each wheel which will drive the cutting reel when the lawn mower is pushed in a forward direction, but which will permit the reel to remain idle when the lawn mower is moved in a rearwardly direction. The bearings 4| are located in the side frames I 9, relative to the studs 25, so that the pinions 58 will mesh with th ring gears I8 when the wheels are assembled on the frames.

The portion of the side frame outside of the guard ring is closed, so that both inner and outer exposed surfaces of the frames are flush and smooth, by an outside plate 53, which is shaped to conform to the flange 28 of the side plate I9 and the guard ring 28, as best indicated in Figs. 6 and 9. The outside plate 53 is secured on the frame I9 by engagement of a flat head screw 54 in a block or stud 55, and is properly positioned by means of spacing lugs 56 which abut against the inner surface of the frame I9, and by engagement of the plate 53 on a button 57 secured in the frame I9.

A knife blade 58 is secured on the knife bar 3| by screws 59, in the usual manner, and the blade 58 extends forwardly into cooperating relation with the blades 48 of the cutting-reel. The rela- .tion of the blade 58 and the reel blades 40 is controlled by adjustment of the knife bar 3|. The end flanges 38 of the bar 3| extend rearwardly of the bar proper, and these extensions are pro vided with threaded holes 88 for receiving pivot studs 8|. Adjusting eye bolts 82 are pivotally secured on the studs BI, and extend upwardly through bores 83 in the studs 55. The studs 55 are pivotally secured on the frames I9 by means of nuts 84. Nuts 55 at top and bottom of the stud 55 provide means for moving the eye bolt 62 up or down, and for locking the eye bolt in adjusted position. Movement of the eye bolt 52 will swing the knife bar 3| about its pivot studs 31. In its normal position, the axis of the eye bolt 52 is tangent to the center line of the pivot studs 31 and 8|, thus reducing pivotal movement of the stud 55 to a minimum.

A roller 88 is journalled in bearing brackets 61, and the brackets 61 are provided with a plurality of countersunk holes 88 for receiving a flat head screw 69. The screw 69 projects through an opening I8 in the side plate I 9, and is locked in place by a nut I I. The height of the lip of the knife 58 is controlled by the vertical position of the roller 68 and, as the roller 88 may be located in any one of four positions, vertically, depending upon the hole 68 in which the screw 69 is located, the lip of the knife 58 may be located in any one of four positions, relative to the ground, thereby providing for different heights of cut. As the screw 69 registers in the hole 18 in the side frame, it is impossible for the brackets 61 to slide up or down, and thus throw the roller 66 out of proper alignment. Opposed projections I2 pressed outwardly from the side frame l9 engage opposite sides of the bracket 61 to guide the same and hold the bracket from tipping. The nuts II are welded, or otherwise suitably secured, to the frames l9, so that the roller brackets 61 may be adjusted as to height without removing the outside plates 53. A rubber washer 66 is supported on each roller trimnlon between the roller 66 and bracket 61 to provide for quiet operation.

Handle braces 13 are provided with holes '14 for pivotal engagement on studs I5 which are secured on the frames I 9 and project inwardly therefrom. The opposite ends of the handle braces 13 are provided with spaced slots 16 whose long axes are perpendicular, and a handle tongue 1'! is adjustably secured to the handle braces 'l3 by means of bolts 18. As shown in Fig. 3, the angle of the handle tongue 11, relative to the braces 13, may be altered by manipulation of the bolts 18 in the slots 16. The handle tongue I1 is preferably made of metal tubing, and a handle socket I9 is secured in its upper end by welding or other suitable means. A nut 80 is welded to the bottom of the handle socket l9, and a handle bar 8| is firmly secured on thesocket 19 by means of a cap 82 and bolt 83. The angular relation of the handle to the lawn mower as a whole is limited by stop lugs 88 pressed inwardly from the side frames I! to engage the handle braces 13. The stops 84 are so located that, in

the upper position, the center of gravity of the handle will lie ahead of the pivot stud 15, and the handle will remain in this position, and, in the lower position, the handle will lie below the lowest operating angle and still be prevented from falling to the ground.

What I claim is:

1. A side frame for lawn mowers comprising a stamped, outwardly flanged member having a flat, smooth inner surface, a wheel stud secured.

on said member and projecting outwardly therefrom, a stamped metal, flanged guard ring secured on the outer surface of said member in coaxial relation with said stud, and a plate secured in said member flush with the edge of the flange of said member and abutting said guard ring, whereby said side frame outside of said guard ring is provided with smooth, flat inner and outer surfaces, substantially as described.

2. A side frame for lawn mowers comprising, in combination, a stamped metal, outwardly flanged frame member having a semi-circular front portion and an elliptical rear portion, said frame member also having an inner surface which is substantially flat and in one plane, a wheel stud secured on said frame in coaxial relation with said semi-circular portion and projecting outwardly from said frame, said frame being formed with a socket for receiving a reel hearing, a stamped metal, flanged guard ring secured on the outer surface of said frame in coaxial relation with said wheel stud and enclosing said bearing socket, and a plate secured on the elliptical portion of said frame flush with the edge of the flange of said frame and substantially filling that portion of said frame which lies outside of said guard ring. BLAKE A. SEAVER. 

